Acting Alike

A little exercise.

Rest!!! 

And more rest!!!

I'm sure you have heard the stories about a mans dog looking or acting like his master.  Well, I think that's the case with Red Dog except I don't drink out of the toilet.   As I have said in the past, Red Dog has become quite fond of  indoor life which I can totally relate to.  We both enjoy lying around under the air conditioner and we eat all the food Debbie puts on our plates.  We both seem to take plenty of naps and talk/growl in our sleep.  Just last night Debbie hollered from the bedroom that something was wrong with Red Dog.  I went in to check on him and he was lying peacefully at the foot of the bed fast asleep making these gurgling/grunting sounds.  I don't know what he was dreaming about but he didn't appear to be in any distress.  When I called out his name he just layed there looking up at me like what did you do that for.  He was perfectly fine and didn't appear to be very happy about being woke up.  A few months ago Debbie was gone to Africa so Red Dog and I got to "bach" it for a while.  We ate, drank, napped, snored, scratched, and tooted when ever we wanted and no one was around to tell us to stop.  We sat around the house doing guy things every day.  It was like testosterone heaven.  We even created a live man/dogmade water feature in Debbie's pond one evening (the guys will know what I'm talking about) but don't tell her I told you that.  It was all short lived as Debbie returned home a few weeks later (don't get me wrong, her coming home was a good thing) and we had to start behaving again.  I got tickled at Red Dog the other day when Debbie, Red Dog and I went for a ride in the truck.  On nice evenings we all load up and go cruising through town until it gets dark.  Red Dog loves riding in the back and it only took him a few times to figure out he could jump into the pick up bed on his own.  That was one thing I was really happy about because the first few times I had to lift him up in there and it was an ugly sight lifting 85 pounds of scared kicking dog into the pickup bed.  But now he's got the loading thing down pat.  We would hit the road with his face to the wind and those big ears flapping like Dumbo the Circus elephant.  We returned home the other evening from one our rides and Debbie and I went straight into the house after parking the pickup in the garage.  About thirty minutes later it suddenly hit me I didn't let the tailgate down so Red Dog could get out.  I hurried back to the pickup to find him sitting there patiently waiting on someone to let him out.  He looked like he could have stayed there all night without any problem.  I was a little irritated at myself for forgetting about him but he was just happy to see me.  He's a good Red Dog.  But the one thing that has caught my attention lately about Red Dog is that he and I are on the same page when it comes to exercise.  If I want to go check on something around our place I drive the golfcart and when Red Dog comes with me he doesn't want to run along side like most dogs, he jumps in the seat beside me and off we go.  I think he figures he never knows when he might come across a lion and needs to save his strength to defend me.  So we cruise down to the tank like a couple of lazy bums that know what we are doing.  Lately Red Dog likes for me to go outside and play with him in the back yard.  This little thing got started when Reed (our twenty year old son) would come home to visit and they would go chase each other in the back yard.  Red Dog would run around the yard at top speed darting back and forth as quickly as he could with Reed right behind him.  Funny thing is it doesn't last but a minute or so and Red Dog has had enough.  He will suddenly stop and go lay down as to say "that's all in need for one day".  Luckily I don't have to put out that much effort when it's my turn to play with Red Dog.  When I ask him if he wants to go outside that tree branch like tail of his starts spinning like an airplane propeller so off we go.  The minute Red Dog's feet hit the grass he takes off like a lightening bolt and the game begins.  I jump down into a defensive basketball stance and Red Dog does the same. He then suddenly takes off at full speed running around the yard.  He will stop and pause for a few seconds and as soon as I jump back into that stances, he takes off again.  We repeat this over and over (which usually equals about three times) and we are done.  The good news is that it doesn't take Red Dog and I long to miss the A/C so we quickly head inside.  I fall into my chair and Red Dog lies down close to the A/C air vent and our recovery time begins and lasts the rest of the day.  I was sitting there after one of our rigorous workouts thinking that Red Dog was getting as soft and out of shape as I am.  Here is a dog that's bred to hunt down lions on the African plains and now all he wants to do is hang out with me under the air conditioner.  Not a bad idea considering the drought we have been in for the past two summers but it got me wondering if I have picked up any of Red Dogs habits?  
Like I said earlier, I've never drank from the toilet and I've never pooped on the carpet.  I'm pretty sure I've never cold nosed the Schwann man when he comes to the house, although I do get a little excited seeing  him carrying boxes of food to me.  I don't think I have ever licked the neighbors on the hand when they have come over to visit.  I don't chase Debbie's cats but it sure puts a smile on my face to watch Red Dog do that (please, no one tell Debbie).  I don't lick myself but I have licked BBQ rib juice off of my fingers and we all know how much Red Dog like ribs.  I've never scooted my bobo across the floor when it itched but Debbie keeps yelling at me to quit scratching myself when walking across the room.  We both like to go tinkle out in the back yard but mine is usually under the cloak of darkness.  I've never been sprayed by a skunk and have never chased a car unless I left it in drive when I got out of it.  I don't eat dog food from a silver bowl but I do like peanut butter Captain Crunch in a breakfast bowl and it looks a little like Red Dogs food.  We both let toots and snore but I did that long before Red Dog moved in.  We both whine to Debbie when we want something to eat.  I've never been smacked with a news paper for having an accident....Oops, no need to go there because I am over fifty.  Needless to say we do act alike at times and I guess that theory about the dog acting like his master could have some truth to it. So if you come knocking at our door one of these days and Red Dog answers and offers to shake your hand with me standing behind him barking my head off with multiple  "Sonic Woof" don't get worried.  It just means Red Dog and I have been spending a lot of time together.  LOL.  Until the next adventure, God bless you all.